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“Bride of Frankenstein”

…came under fire from the Hays Office of film standards, which insisted on a less-revealing costume for the mate, a reduction in the number of murders depicted, and the removal of a scene in which the monster attempts to “rescue” a figure of Christ on a cross. Censors in other…

development by Motion Picture Association of America

…the Hays Office adopted the Motion Picture Production Code, a detailed description of what was morally acceptable on the screen. Under the guidance of Jack Valenti—MPAA president (1966–2004) and former adviser to U.S. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson—the code was liberalized in 1966 after it had become hopelessly outdated and ineffective…

“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”

After the Hays Production Code came into full effect, the film was shorn of some 10 minutes of footage owing to sexually suggestive scenes featuring Hopkins and March. When MGM remade the movie in 1941 with Spencer Tracy, the studio acquired the rights to the 1931 version…

impact on U.S. television

…originally voluntarily regulated by the Hays Production Code (see Will H. Hays), which limited the kind of language and subject matter (especially that of a sexual or violent nature) allowed in a film. The Hays code was superseded by a ratings system in 1966, from which time “adult” content in…